Technology
Cell Phones They're now more like mini-computers, with processing rates and screens that envy what a player might see on the highest end laptops. They can download movies in seconds, they can process major games (including Zen) and have digital ink technology installed so they can harbor your textbooks. The problems of memory are in the past; your cell phone can do everything your laptop could do and then some. The only way it hasn't overtaken the computer is its size and keyboard functionality. People still don't feel comfortable using a cell phone for serious business work, and the fact that calls can interrupt and potentially lose data/stop a boss battle keep most from using it for their portable gaming/processing needs. Cell phones, then, are most commonly used for: *eReader functionality, replacing Tablets, Nooks and Kindles. *Casual Gaming (Angry Birds, etc.) *Internet outside of MMORPGs *Level-grinding in MMORPGs There are quite a few models, but primarily, characters use either Apple or Droid. Droid has become the "off-hipster brand" after Apple, post Steve Jobs, became something of a mega-conglomeration of Design Efficiency. The iPhone 10s is what's used by the mainstream populace, where the most popular Droid, the Droid E-FECTIV, is used by most of the technology pandering crowd. Computers PCs and Macs continue their never-ending battle, but they're now treated as equally conglomerate operating systems. Macs are still seen as superior art machines, and Adobe has long-since given up developing top-notch software for the PC; it is now a given that if you're an artist, you use a Mac. Similarly, most hard-core gamers have long since surrendered to the idea that their games will always run a bit wonkily on the Mac, and the Zen developers, X-DAV, even admit to some PC optimization. Chances are, your character uses a PC, or has some griping to say about the Apple Angry Puma OS and Zen's frame rates. Television/Gaming Systems These are no longer separate. Starting with the PS5, the television and the system are now combined. In fact, after Microsoft released the X, you can just download new gaming systems directly to your television set. This revolution to the gaming industry in 2040 nearly killed all competing companies, until the federal courts ruled in 2042 that the X had to allow other systems to be downloaded and could not connect to anything related to Microsoft. The Wii and its descendants are now more novelty items, set aside as "apart" from the serious gaming realm. Nintendo concentrates most of its efforts on its handheld systems, with the 3DS's descendants essentially wiping out Sony's PSP competition. Nintendo is still known for creating durable hardware and innovative gameplay, but is also still known for exploiting new technologies as "gimmicks" in certain games. The X created such a straight-to-consumer mentality for Microsoft that any quality construction is only being found released for the Playstation and 3DS. If your character likes console games, they 99.5% chance own an X, but probably have downloaded the PSInfiniti processor. They most likely use the PSInfiniti more than any hard-loaded X drivers. TVs are all 3D capable, and most produce 3D for you automatically. Games can be either or, but some are entirely immersive, such as the Wii-al, pronounced like Real, the completely immersive gaming environment for Nintendo. Zen does not operate that way. It is a standard console or PC game. You can, however, play it on your X, if you desire. You could also have it constructed into 3D if you prefer, as the models are designed to work that way. What about...? Questions about tech you want to see in the game? Contact the mods at zenderael@gmail.com and ask about it. If it's not listed here, chances are the mods want to approve it before saying it exists in the world.